Cutting apparatus for paper bag machinery



H. H. WEBER ETAL CUTTING -PPARATU FORPAPER BAG MACHINERY vApril 27, 1954- 4 Sheets sheet 2 MM i. na

April 27, 1954 H. H. WEBER ETAL CUTTING APPARATUS FoR PAPER BAG MACHINERY Piled sept. e, 1949 .April 27, 1954 H, H. WEBER ETAL 2,676,657

CUTTING APPARATUS PoR PAPER BAG MACHINERY Filed sept. 6, 1949 A 4 Sheets-sheet s April 27 1954 H. H. TNEBER ETAL 2,676,657

CUTTING APPARATUS" RoR PAPER BAG MACHINERY Filed Sept. 6, 1949 4 Sheets-Sheet 4 Patented Apr. 27, 1954 CUTTING APPARATUS FOR PAPER BAG MACHINERY Herbert H. Weber and Daniel W. Donnelly, Sheboygan, Wis., assignors to H. G. Weber & Company, Inc., Kiel, Wis., a corporation of Wisconsin Application september c, 1949, serial No. 114,188

8 Claims.

This invention relates to apparatus for forming paper bags. More particularly it has to do with paper cutting apparatus for automatically performing a notching operation and a slitting operation in the bag as it is being formed in the paper bag forming machine.

One method of making paper bags consists in forming a. nat sheet of paper into an elongated tube with upper and lower walls held inspaced relation. A notch--cutting mechanism then pierces one wall of the tube intermediate its side edges, leaving a semi-circular slot therein, the ends of which are disposed on an imaginary line laterally of the tube. A slitter mechanism then contacts both sides of the tube and cuts short slots longitudinally of the tube spaced on either side f the semi-circular slot extending longitudinally from the line dened by the ends of the slot. In a subsequent operation, the tube is cut laterally into lengths along this imaginary line, thus providing a plurality of tubes each of which has a semi-circular tab extending from one end and a semi-:circular notch cut in the other end.

Subsequent operations of the bag forming machine are effective to fold the tab-carrying end of the tube into a closed and sealed end, the longitudinal slots being utilized to facilitate the folding operation.

In this preliminary notching and slitting of the tube, it is important that the longitudinal slots cut in either side wall of the tube begin exactly on the imaginary line dened by the end of the semi-circular slot. If the slots be at a later point and the tube is cut into lengths along this imaginary line, the ends of the longitudinal slots will not be opened when the folding operation is begun. It is therefore important that the operation of the notch-cutting device and the device 'for cutting longitudinal slots be synchronized so that the bags can be eiliciently formed. Y

According to the teachings of the present invention, the notch-cutting mechanism is mounted on ashaft which is arranged to be periodical- .ly oscillated to bring the notch cutter into contact with the tube. The cutting device for providing longitudinal slots in the tube is similarly connected to a shaft which is periodically actuated to move the cutting edge into contact with the tube. Each of these shafts is periodically oscillated by a separate cam which acts on a cam follower connected to the shaft.

One of the important features of the present invention is the provision of a cam block having a camming surface extending across the block in a diagonal direction relative to the axis of the cam disk on which the block is secured. A roller follower movable in a plane parallel to that of the cam disk is shiftable axially of the cam disk by means of an adjuster mechanism so that it may be successively aligned with a plurality of different camming surfaces on the cam, each camming surface having the same rise and fall characteristics but being angularly displaced on the disk relative to adjacentJ camming surfaces due to the diagonal disposition of the camming surface on the block.

Each of the shafts which carry the notching device and the slitting device is connected to a cam follower arm which carries a shiftable cam follower. Thus, since each cam follower can be shifted relative to the camming surface of the cam disk so that the time at which it is actuated for tripping the cam follower arm can be advanced or retarded' while the bag-forming machine is in operation, it is seen that the notching and slitting operations can be varied independently of each other and can be coordinated with each other.

It is therefore an important object of the present invention to provide means for adjusting the cycle of operation of the thumb notching mechanism and the slitting mechanism of a paper bag forming machine while the machine is in operation.

Another object of the present invention is to provide means for synchronizing the operation of the thumb notching device and the slitting device of a paper bag forming machine.

A further object of the p-resent invention is to provide a novel thumb notch cutter mechanism.

Another and still further object of the present invention is to provide a novel adjusting mechanisrn including a diagonal cam and a shiftable cam follower.

Other and further features, objects and advantages of the present invention will be apparent to one skilled in 'the art from the following detailed description of the attached drawings.

On the drawings:

Figure 1 is a vertical sectional view, partly in section and partly broken away, of a paper bag forming machine, the section being taken laterally of the machine at the paper slitting and thumb notching station of the machine;

Figure 2 is a fragmentary perspective view of the novel thumb notching device and paper slitting device of the present invention;

Figure 3 is a fragmentary side elevational view of a portion of a paper bag forming machine showing the novel thumb notching and paper slitting device of the present invention mounted thereon;

Figure 4 is a fragmentary vertical sectional 3 View taken substantially on line IV--IV of Figure l;

Figure 5 is a fragmentary horizontal sectional view taken on line tT-V of Figure 1;

Figure 6 is a perspective View of the cam block ci the present invention shown detached from the bag iorniing machine; and

Figure 7 is a more or less diagrammatic showing of a portion of a paper tube as it moves through the notching and slitting stations of the paper bag forming machine.

As shown on the drawings:

In Figure l, the reference numeral I6 indicates the side frame structure of a portion of aV bag forming machine. Since the conventional bag forming machine is an elongated structure and since this invention relates only to that portion of the machine where the thumb notching and slitting operations are carried out, the frame structure il represents the side wall of the machine at the particular section of the machine that is referred to in this invention. It will be understood, of course, that other suitable frame structure, such as a bed plate, may be installed in the machine if desired.

A paper tube designated by the reference numeral I2 and indicated by the dot-dash line in Figure l is stretched over a tube former I3 including a central mandrel portion Il with spaced arms I5 projecting laterally of the machine. A plate number iii, supported by angle members I8 from the side frame structure, extends between the mandrel arms i5 and provide additional means for supporting the tube I3.

A thumb notch cutter is secured to a shaft or rod 2l for oscillation therewith. The notching device is arranged to pivot downwardly and contact the upper wall of the paper tube l2 and cut a substantially semi-circular slot 23 therein (Figure 7). A pair of slitting devices 25 are disposed on either side of the notch cutter and are secured to a shaft or rod 21. These slitting devices are arranged to pivot downwardly to contact the upper wall of the paper tube I2 and cut longitudinal slots 3o therein. The blades of the slitting device may suitably pass through slots 3! disposed in the arm members I5 of the bag former.

It will be noted in Figure '7 that the longitudinal slits @it begin on a line defined by the end of the semi-circular slot 23. In a subsequent operation, the tube is cut laterally on this imaginary line, as illustrated at the left-hand side of Figure '7, dividing the tube into lengths suitable for further forming into bags. Each of the lengths has a tab portion 23a at one end and a thumb notch 23h at the other end, which thumb notch is, of coursez used to facilitate opening the nnished bag when articles are to be placed therein at a retail store or the like.

The thumb notch cutter 2S comprises an arm 32 (Figure 4) secured for oscillation with the shaft 2i. A pair of ears 33 extend upwardly from the arm 32, receiving therebetween an arm 3d of a dog 35 (Figure l). The dog 35 has a hub portion 35 that extends axially through an aperture 38 in the arm 32 and is keyed to the shaft 2l by keys 3'?. The arm 34 is held between the ears kEl by an adjusting screw assembly All. With this adjustable drive connection the pivoting swing of the arm 32 may be adjusted relative to the drive shaft 2 I.

A knife carrying arm is pvotally mounted on a pin 46 at the end of the arm 32. The arm 45 is provided with an enlarged aperture 41 dts (Figure 2) through which a lower arm 43 of the arm 32 passes. A spring 48 disposed about a pin 49 on the arm 32 is anchored at one end against the arm 32 having the other end disposed against the knife carrying arm 45, normally urging it in a counter-clockwise direction as seen in Figure 4 against a stop plate 'Ell which is secured to the end of thearm i3 by a screw 5i. At the lower end of the knife carrying arm l5 a knife blade 52 of semi-circular configuration is secured thereon by means of an adapter plate 53 and a screw 54.

The operation of the notch cutter 20 is illustrated in Figure 4. The dotted lines show the cutter in its retracted, normal position. The solid line showing illustrates the cutter just after it has punched the semi-circular slot in the paper. The dot-dash line indicates the pivoting movement of the arm 45 as it is pulled along with the paper until it is swung free of the paper by the cam mechanism which controls the shaft and which will be described in detail hereinafter.

It is to be noted in Figures 2 and 4 that the central portion Ul of the tube former i3 has a dished-out portion sa which affords a semicircular backing member 5t for bracing the paper just beneath the knife blade 52 when it contacts the paper. The recessed portion 55 tapers upwardly toward its rear end, enough clearance being provided so that the arm i5 in its pivoting rearward movement with the paper will clear the mandrel Ill as it moves therealong.

Each slitting device 25 comprises an arm member lill (Figure 4) adjustably secured to a shalt il by a dog 59 that has a sleeve portion Ell keyed to the shaft and an arm El adjustably held between upstanding ears 62 of the arm 53 by an adjustment screw assembly t3. A head (Figure 2) is adjustably secured to the free end of arm 53 oy bolt 65 and a nut (it. A knife El is held on the head 6d by a retainer plate 69 and cap screws.

When the shaft El is oscillated, the arm Se moves the knife edge into contact with the paper to cut longitudinal slits 3c therein.

it is a particular feature of the present invention that the beginning of the cutting strokes of both the notch cutter 2d and the slitter 25 can be regulated and coordinated without stopping the bag folding machine. This adjustment of the notch cutting device 2G can be accomplished through an adjuster assembly 'il (Figure l) while the adjustment of the slitting device 25 may be made through an identical adjuster assembly l2.

As illustrated in Figure l, a power driven shaft 'i3 is connected through bevel gears le to a shaft l5 which is journaled between the walls lil of the frame structure of the bag forming machine. A drive gear lli keyed to the shaft 'l5 is in mesh with a gear "el which is keyed to a driven shaft it. A disk i9 is secured at one end of the shaft 5s while a similar disk 3@ is secured to the other end.

The disks Si) and 'le carry identical cam blocks 32 and 82a respectively which are secured to the disks by cap screws S3 (Figures E and 5) which pass through the disks and are threaded into locking plates adjacent thereto. A camming surface 66 is provided on the radially inward side of each cam block. The camming surface has a substantially V-shaped rise and fall configuration and extends diagonally across the block, as show-n in Figures 5 and 6. The adjuster assemblies 'il and l2 include cam follower arms 9B and lilla respectively. These arms have of the screw laterally projecting portions 819 and 89a, which carry rotatable roller followers 88 and 88a, and are arranged to be shifted in a plane normal to the plane of the cam disks by the manually operated adjustment mechanisms. By shifting the roller followers, the time of the pivoting of the arms 90 and Sea may be varied since the further the follower is moved to the right, as seen in Figure 5, the longer it will take for the crest of 86a of the camming surface 36 to reach vthe follower.

In Figure 3, it is seen that the arm 32 has a rearwardly extending arm 9| receiving one end of a spring 92 which has its lower end secured in the frame structure. As the follower 9|) rides up the cam surface, the arm 32 will 'be pivoted clockwise against the "action of the spring 92. When the follower el] moves off the cam surface, the spring 92 pivots the arm 32 counterclockwise, lifting the cutter away from the paper.

While Figure 5 illustrates the adjustment mechanism 1| that is effective to shift the follower 88 for varying the timing of the notch cutter 29, it is to be understood that adjusting device 1'2 is identical and is used to shift the roller follower 88a relative to the cam 82a which is mounted on the cam disk 'i9 for adjusting the timing of the stroke of the slitting device 25.

The adjusting mechanism 'El comprises an elongated sleeve |535 slidably disposed on the shaft 2| and keyed to the cam follower arm $8 by set An upright shifter arm |32 (Figure 2) is journaled at its lower end on the sleeve IBB, having a wall portion ISZa abutting a shoulder iila of the sleeve. The shifter arm H32 is connected to a ring member IM disposed in an annular groove ii'iib of the sleeve lil by means of a plate 65 which is secured to the arm |02 by cap screws |66 and to the ring by studs lill.

`At its upper end, the shifter arm has a threaded opening in which is disposed an adjusting screw H8. The screw has an unthreaded end portion lita that is journaled in an opening ||2 in a support block H3 secured to the frame of the machine. Spring clips disposed in the unthreaded end llila on either side of the block I i3 prevent axial movement H0. A pin H5 is threaded into support block lf3 and passes freely through the -shifter arm |62 for maintaining the shifter arm in alignment with the support block. |3.

When a hand wheel E it, secured to the adjusting screw H9, is turned in one direction, the shifter arm |02 will be moved to the right, as shown in Figures l and 5, pushing the sleeve H30 to the right due to the action of the wall portion Iila bearing against the shoulder lilila of the sleeve. This causes the cam follower arm 9|! and the cam roller follower 88 to be shifted to the right as shown in Figure 1, causing the roller follower 58 to be actuated at an earlier or a later period, depending upon the diagonal disposition of the cam surface ofthe cam 82.

When the hand wheel M is rotated in the opposite direction, the shifter arm G2 will be moved to the left as shown in Figures l and 5, pushing the sleeve |80 to the left due to the disposition of -the ring Hifi in the annular groove Iiifibof the sleeve |00. It is to be'particularly noted that the adjusting movement of the adjusting mechanism 1| in no way interferes with the operation of the bag forming machine itself since the shifting of the roller follower 88 can be effected even. while it is in Contact with the cam surface 86.

The adjuster mechanism 12 which is effective to shift cam follower 88a, associated with the slitting devices 25 comprises a hand wheel ||8 connected to the end of an adjusting screw ||9 which is threaded in the upper end of a shifter arm |29. The shifter arm |20 is effective to move the cam follower arm Sila axially along the shaft 2'! for shifting the roller follower 83a relative to the camming surface of the cam 82a. It

will be recognized in Figure 3 that the arm Qta is pivoted clockwise by the cam 82a against the action of a spring |23 which is disposed between an extension arm `|2fi of the lever Qa and a frame member H3.

From the foregoing description it is seen that there is provided in this invention a novel diagonal cam member which is associated with a shifter device providing an adjustment mechanism which may be actuated even while the bag forming machine is in operation for adjusting the timing of the thumb notching operation and the slitting operation. It will be understood of course that if other slitting operations are required to be performed on the bag forming machine which should be coordinated with the thumb notching operation or the slitting operation herein disclosed, a similar adjusting mechanism can be provided for coordinating such operations.

It will, of course, be understood that various details of construction may be varied through a wide range without departing from the principles of this invention, and it is, therefore, not the purpose to limit the patent granted hereon otherwise than necessitated by the scope of the appended claims.

We claim as our invention:

l. In an apparatus for making spaced notches through the plane surface of a traveling length of paper, a support structure along which the paper is adapted to travel, a transverse rock shaft journaled on said support structure in vertically spaced relation with respect to the plane of travel of the paper therealong, power means for rocking said shaft in timed relation with respect to the travel of the paper along said support structure, an oscillatable arm extending from said shaft and oscillated thereby toward and from the plane f travel of paper, a knife arm pivoted to said oscillatable arm in spaced relation with respect to said shaft and moved by said oscillating arm toward and from the traveling paper, a notcher on the end of said arm of width less than the width of the traveling paper, means yieldably biasing said knife arm and notcher in a predetermied position spaced away from said rock shaft in position to transversely cut the paper, said notcher piercing the moving paper upon movement of said oscillating arm toward the paper, and the traveling paper pivoting said knife arm to move with the paper against its bias out of engagement therewith,

2. In an apparatus of the class described, a support structure, means on said support structure for supporting a traveling length of paper for movement therealong, a transverse shaft journaled in said support structure above and in port structure, a cam rotatably driven from the said drive shaft, said cam having an elongated transversely extending diagonal cam surface, a cam follower secured to said rock shaft for intermittent engagement with said cam for rocking said shaft in one direction, means moving said cam follower along said rock shaft to vary the timing of rocking movement of said shaft, a spring rocking said shaft in an opposite direction, an oscillatable arm on said rock shaft and oscillatably driven thereby, and a notcher pivoted to and depending from said arm and yieldably biased ina plane generally perpendicular to the plane of travel of the paper, to pierce the same upon movement of said arm toward the paper, said notcher being released from the paper by movement therewith against its bias as said oscillating arm moves way from the paper.

3. In an apparatus for making spaced transverse and longitudinal slits in a traveling length of paper in predetermined spaced relation along the length t ereof, a support structure having means supporting the paper for travel therealong, two parallel transverse rock shafts journalled in said support structure in spaced relation with respect to the plane of travel of the paper there along, a transverse cutter operated by one of said rock shafts and moved 'thereby toward and from the plane of the paper and mounted thereon for travel with the paper a limited distance during the cutting operation thereof, a longitudinal slitter mounted on the other of said rock shafts and moved thereby into slitting engagement with the paper as it travels along said support structure, a transverse drive shaft journalled in said support structure in spaced relation with respect to said rock shafts, means for rotatably driving said shaft, a rotatable cam on one end of said drive shaft having a transversely extending diagonal cani surface, a follower on onel of said parallel shafts intermittently engaged by said cam surface, a rotatable cam on the other end of said drive .shaft also having a transversely extending diagonal cam surface, a follower on the other of said parallel. shafts intermittently engaged by the last mentioned cam surface, and separate adjusting means for each follower, operable independently of each other to adjustably move said followers along the associated rock shaft, to vary the timing of rocking movement of said rock shafts with respect to each other, while the machine is in operation.

4. In a bag forming machine, a cam mechanism including a cam wheel, a cam surface clisposed diagonally of the axis of said cam wheel and a follower shiftable relative to said camming surface for adjusting the time at which said surface contacts said follower.

5. An adjuster mechanism comprising a cam wheel, a camming surface on said cam wheel diagonally disposed relative to the axis of said cam wheel, a follower arm shiftable axially of said ycani wheel for adjusting the time at which said follower' contacts said camming surface and means for shifting said follower arm including a rod, a sleeve slidable on said rod and secured to said follower arm, a shifter arm in abutting relation with said sleeve for moving said sleeve axiallyy in either direction and a screw in threaded engagement with said shifter arm, rotation of said screw causing said arm to move relative thereto for shifting said sleeve and said follower arm.

6. An adjuster mechanism comprising a support structure, a cam rotatable on said support structure, a follower in contact with said cam vand shiftable relative thereto, a sleeve secured to said follower, a shifter arm in abutting relation with said sleeve for moving said sleeve axially in either direction, and a screw in threaded engagement with said shifter arm having an unthreaded end portion journaled in said support structure and secured against axial movement therein, rotation of said screw causing said arm to move relative thereto for shifting said sleeve and said follower arm.

7. In a machine for making spaced notches in a traveling length of paper, a notcher mounted for reciprocable movement toward and away from the paper and for limited travel therewith, a rotatable member driven in timed relation with respect to travel of the paper along the machine, said rotatable drive member having projecting means thereon having a transverse diagonal cam surface of substantial length, a rock shaft for reciprocably moving said cutter toward and from the paper, a cam follower mounted on said rock shaft for adjustable movement therealong, said cam follower being intermittently engaged by said cam to rock said rock shaft, and means operable during operation of the machine for moving said cam follower along said rock shaft to vary the time of operation of said notcher with respect to travel of the paper and to thereby vary the spacing of the notching operations thereof.

8. In an apparatus for makng spaced cuts through the surface of a traveling length of paper, means defining a generally plane surface for supporting the paper with a longitudinally extending recess in said surface of width substantially less than the width of the traveling paper, an oscillatable member having at least a portion movable toward and away from said surface, knife means pivoted to said portion about an axis parallel to said surface and transverse to the direction of movement of the paper and including cutter mea-ns arranged to cut the paper on movement of said portion of said member toward said surface, said cutter means being aligned with said recess and having a total width less than said width of said recess, spring means acting between said oscillatable member and said knife means for resiliently biasing said knife means rearwardly relative to the direction of movement of the paper, and stop means carried by said oscillatable member in the path of said knife means to limit rearward movement of said knife means and to align said cutter means with the rearward end portion of said recess, the traveling paper acting to pivot said cutter means about said axis forwardly through said recess and upwardly out of engagement with the paper.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 154,450 Braidwood Aug. 25, 1874 288,130 Skinner NOV. 6, 1883 1,144,630 Avery June 29, 1915 1,360,048 Stock Nov. 23, 1920 1,571,933 Weber Feb. 9, 1926 1,640,466 Ohlsson Aug. 30, 1927 1,845,203 Sibley Feb. 16, 1932 1,947,205 Jaeger Feb. 13, 1934 1,967,212 Avery July 24, 1934 2,137,081 Franke Nov. 15, 1938 2,186,884 Shomaker Jan. 9, 1940 2,215,518 Weber Sept. 24, 1940 2,232,558 Petskeyes et al. Feb. 18, 1941 FOREGN PATENTS Number Country Date 459,795 Germany May 14, 1928 

